12/02/2018

The School of Wine & Spirits Business launches an MBA in Wine & Spirits Business

A professional gateway to a global market undergoing major change

Dijon, February 2018.From the beginning of the next academic year, the Burgundy School of Business School of Wine & Spirits Business (SWSB) will be launching a brand new programme taught entirely in English: the MBA in Wine & Spirits Business. Directed by Jacques Thébault, the programme is aimed at high-potential wine and spirits enthusiasts with at least 3 years of prior professional experience aspiring to a managerial or entrepreneurial career abroad, within a specific sector the particular requirements and nuances of which they will assimilate via comprehensive course content and a broad range of enriching learning experiences. The first class is expected to comprise students of several nationalities.

Discovering the sector, products and necessary managerial skills from A to Z MBA in Wine & Spirits Business Director Jacques Thébault brings to the programme his 25 years of experience in wine and spirits management, gained over three continents: “We can count on the expert knowledge of faculty including a Master of Wine, a wine producer and a number of PhD-qualified professors, as well as academic and professional lecturers from our highly international network. The programme has been devised with a view to combining sector-specific knowledge and management skills, via a blend of courses covering the fundamentals of the wine and spirits business and management applied to the sector, with particular emphasis placed upon wine and spirits marketing, achieved via especially up-to-date case studies.”

Exploring the global wine and spirits market in depth Not only is the programme expected to attract cohorts comprising a variety of different nationalities and nurture enriching debate within small-sized groups, but also the training delivered will provide truly detailed insight into the world of wine and spirits. “Participants will embark on at least three study trips”, specifies Jacques Thébault. “The trips will be to London, one of the most competitive markets in the world, in order to study the various aspects of export, distribution, and production; to New York, one of the largest global consumption markets in the world, to study distribution but also marketing and communications; and to several French-based production areas.” Throughout the curriculum, pupils will also take part in a series of targeted, behind-closed-doors conferences (Wine & Spirits VIP Room), attend headlining forums such as ProWein in Germany, and benefit from the 1000-strong SWSB alumni network. “This MBA meets the growing demand for a globally-minded, business-oriented training programme, both from companies operating within the sector and international candidates with confirmed backgrounds”, adds Jérôme Gallo, SWSB Director.

About the School of Wine & Spirits Business (SWSB): Founded in 2013, the SWSB centralises all training and research activities dedicated to wine and spirits management at Burgundy School of Business (BSB). An internationally-recognised institution in the field, the School is located in the Burgundy region of France, the climates of which have UNESCO-listed World Heritage status. Over 120 students of around 20 nationalities from 5 continents are trained every year via the 3 programmes offered by the School: the Specialised Master in International Wine and Spirits Business (taught in French), the MBA in Wine & Spirits Business and the MSc in Wine Management (both taught in English). The SWSB is located on dedicated premises (including the Wine & Spirits Business Lab, Tasting Room, and a cellar) and has its very own teaching staff. It is supported by a professional international network of over 1000 alumni.